Plating fixture



Aug. 19, 1969 F. B. KARLQUIST 3,

YPLA'IING FIXTURE Filed March 13. 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 56 IIUIHIHH 'Hmmmu INVENTOR. F450 5, KARA U/ST A TTOP/VE V PLATING FIXTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13. 196'? FIG. 3

INVENTOR. FRED .5. AAALQU/ST ATTORNEY Aug. 19, 1969 F. B. KARLQUIST 3,462,357

PLATING FIXTURE Filed March 13. 1967 I 5 Sheets-Sheet S INVENTOR. FRED B. MRZQU/ST United States Patent 3,462,357 PLATING FIXTURE Fred B. Karlquist, Union, N.J., assignor to Pamarco, Inc., Roselle, N..I., a corporation of Maryland Filed Mar. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 622,549 Int. Cl. C23b 5/70 U.S. Cl. 204-297 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plating arrangement to suspend and rotate pressure rollers in a plating bath. A top support frame carries a conductor bar, depending laterally adjustable housings and a rack. A pinion associated with a bearing structure mounted on one of the housings is rotated by a hand wheel and meshes with the rack to adjust the distance between housings. The housings may be locked in position and also contain means to drive the rollers and establish electrical connection from the conduct-or to the roller.

The present invention relates to a plate fixture and it particularly relates to an apparatus for plating rollers particularly in chromium, copper, cadmium and other plating baths.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an arrangement for placing rollers in plating baths and providing for the suspensions and rotation of the rollers during the plating operation without having the suspension and rotating apparatus affected by the corrosive or other chemical reagents in the bath.

Another object is to provide a readily adjustable apparatus for plating relatively heavy printing, embossing, paper and textile processing rollers which will be readily operated to accommodate various weights, lengths and diameters of rollers and which requires a minimum of manual control and observation and which will not be readily subject to derangement and/ or break-down requiring lay-off apparatus or attention of skilled operatives.

Another object is to provide a novel plating fixture for plating rollers at any desired rotational rate with chromium, cadmium, copper or other metals in which the plating operation will result in the uniform deposition of a plating material in predetermined thickness with a minimum of handling.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects it has been found most satisfactory, according to one embodiment of the present invention to provide an overhead rail which may be fixedly or movably suspended in the plating shed and which will carry depending elements for supporting and rotating the rollers through suitable trunnions or shafts while they are positioned in the plating bath.

In the preferred form of the invention the carrier rail is provided with a horizontal shaft which is rotated by a motor device which may be suspended on the rail with its electric connections carried thereby, and this shaft may have bevel gear connections to vertically depending shafts extending through the end members for carrying the plating rollers. Desirably, the vertical shaft is driven at its top by a spur or bevel gear and the vertical shaft will extend through the casing to a worm gear drive which turns the actual carrier for the trunnion or shaft of the rollers. Electical contact arrangements may be made directly with the shaft or trunnion of the roller and the entire structure placed in the plating bath is desirably so plated or covered with protective material that it is not subject to corrosion.

The protective material which may be employed may consist of various types of plastic materials, particularly thermoplastic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl polymers, fluorinated hydrocarbons and polyethylene terephthalate. These latter materials are known commercially as Teflon and Mylar.

This insulating coating is desirably plated or otherwise permanently attached to the metal members and the connections between the rotating shafts or trunnions are made liquid-proof so that none of the plating liquids or corrosive materials can gain entrance into the interior of the suspended apparatus.

The protected suspension device will contain pressure plates which make the electrical contact with the end of the shafts or trunnions. Although not limited thereto, the present invention is particularly suitable to speeds of IO- tation of between 5 to 25 revolutions per minute, with an average of 10 to 15 revolutions per minute, and to achieve at a current tensity of about 1 to 4 amperes per square inch a coating varying between 0.0005 to 0.002 inch per one hour of plating. These chromium plating baths, for example, may contain between 30 and 35 ounces of chromium trioxide per gallon and a sulphate radical ratio of to 1.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the suspension system of the present invention from one side thereof.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the suspension system from the opposite side thereof.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of one of the suspension boxes showing the drive connection upon the line 33 of FIG. 2 upon an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view upon the line 44 of FIG. 3 showing the suspension driving system.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 there is shown the fixed beam or horizontal rail A having the pillow block spacer B. The rail or fixed beam A carries the electric motor C having the switch D mounted on the top of the beam A with the conduit connections E and F leading to the junction box G. The beam A is suspended by means of the lifting brackets H, with the suspension chains J. The mot-or C drives the horizontal drive shaft K, which in turn drives the mitre gear arrangement L supported by the right angle frame structure M.

Depending from the right angle frame structure M is the housing P within which extends vertically the vertical drive shaft Q driving the worm and gear arrangement R, which in turn drives the shaft adapter or trunnion S. The

3 shaft adapter or trunnion S drives the roller T immersed in the plating bath U.

The electrical connection is made by means of the copper spacer bar V to the double contact bar W, which has a contact plate or copper contact disc X contacting the end of the shaft adapter S. The left hand housing P is adjustable by the hand wheel Y and the rack Z.

Referring specifically to the top rail or I-bar A, it is provided with a vertical central web and the top plate 21 and the bottom plate 22. The lifting bracket H is mounted on the top shaft and it is of inverted U-shaped cross-section and has the down-turned legs 22 and a cap 23 with an insert collar 24. This collar carries the nut attachment 25 for the chain support J. The nut fits the top of the washers 26 and 27.

The web 20 will also carry the pillow block spacer B on one side and a transversing rack Z on the other side. The transversing rack Z meshes with the pinion 28, the shaft of which extends through the pinion bracket 29 to the hand wheel which is accessible, beyond the side of the rail, to the operator.

By turning the hand wheel 30 the left hand housing P shown in FIG. 2 may be moved to the right or to the left to accommodate various lengths of rollers T which are to be plated. The base plate 31 serves to carry the plating current and it is made of copper and is mounted upon the bottom flange 22 of the I beam A.

The upper part of the housing P is carried by means of the bracket 29 and the unit 32 and it has the upstanding side plates 33 which are connected to the top plate 34. These plates 33 enclose each side of the conductor bar 34 as well as the lower flange 22 of the I beam 20, and they are joined together by the clamping stud 35 which extends below the conductor bar 31 and the I beam A.

The handle 36 on the shaft 35 acts to lock the device by means of the clamping stud 35, which has a clamping shoe at position 37. The base plate 38 holds the hub 39 of the lower angle or mitre gear 40, while the vertical support plate M holds the vertical mitre gear 41. These mitre gears are driven by the shaft K and in turn will drive the roller T. The plates 33 act as a clamping agent and they are clamped against the flange 22 of the I beam A.

These clamping elements are best shown in FIG. 3 and they consist of the U-shaped clamping element 43, the upper jaw 44 of which contacts the sloping face 45 of the lower flange 22. The opposite U-shaped clamping member 46 has a similar jaw member 47 which clamps against the bevel face 48 of the lower flange 22 of the I beam A. The element 32 serves to mount the motor and the extension 49 will provide the mounting ears and insulators for the motor C.

The top plate 34 of the housings P will carry the outside and inside walls and 61 and the side walls 62. The reenforcing bar 63, together with the reenforcement Web 64, will aid in the attachment of the housing P to the top plate 34. The walls are held together by means of the bolts 65, 66, 67, which fit into the inwardly projecting nipples 68 from the inside wall 60 and pass through the Wall 61 and have the hexagonal heads 69 and 70 which are covered with a resistant resin covering 71 and 72, which may be polyvinyl chloride or fluorinated hydrocarbon such as Teflon or polyethylene.

The front and back plates 60 and 61, as well as the web 64, are also covered by similar inert metal protective plastic coverings 73, 74 and 75.

The shaft Q passes into the housing P and at its lower end is provided with the worm 76 which meshes with the gear 77 and drives the stud shaft S. The stud shaft S is provided with the roller bearings 77, which are held between the races 78 and 79. The bottom plate 80 carries the mounting plate 81, which has a bottom thrust bearing recess 82 for the lower end of the shaft beyond the worm 76.

This pedestal 81 is held in position by means of the bolts 83. The plate 80 also is provided with a pedestal 84 which has the upright member 85 with a tapped recess 86 receiving the bolt 87 having the hexagonal head 88 with the plastic protective enclosure 89. The circular enclosure 90 is fitted on the inside wall 60 and it carries the roller bearings 77 and is sealed by means of the Teflon or plastic strips 91 which are held in position by means of the methyl methacrylate ring 92. The cup 93 has a protective coating 94 of Teflon tubing or polyvinyl chloride material and it has a recess '95 which receives the end 96 of the shaft of the roller T which is held in position by means of the split collet 97.

The electrical connections consist of the inside and outside vertical contact bars 98 and 99 which terminate in the end contact plate X and which are joined together at their top and bottom by means of the contact elements 100 and 101.

The plastic enclosures 71, 72 and 89 and the plastic coverings 73, 74 and 75, the protective sleeve 102, the covering 103, the enclosure 94 and the strips 91 all afford protection to the housing and its metal elements from the corrosive elements of the plating bath. These plastic coatings may be of polyvinyl chloride, fluorinated hydrocarbons knoWn as Teflon, polyethylene, polypropylene, or other polyolefins, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, or other suitable plastic materials which will be adherent and long lasting and will prevent corrosive attack.

The coating may be terminated at 104 and 105, as indicated in FIG. 4, Since the level of the liquid will only be slightly above the top 106 of the roller T.

In operation the entire arrangement may be elevated by means of the pedestals H and then placed over a coating tank U with the lower end of the housing P immersed in the bath U and the rail structure A and the upper part of the housings P being above the level of the liquid in the bath or tank U.

By means of the rack Z and handle Y operating the pinion 28, it is possible to move the housings P away from each other to accommodate the length of the roller T. The housings, after adjustment to the roller, are locked in position by means of the handle 36 and both the current and the turning effect are applied through the vertical elements W and Q in the housings P, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. All the motive power will be applied from the suspension A and the roller T will be immersed in the bath.

It is thus apparent that the applicant has provided a simplified plating apparatus which may be readily utilized for chromium, cadmium, copper and other types of metal plating or even plating of inorganic materials, which is readily adjustable to various lengths and diameters of rollers and which will reliably turn the rollers during the plating duration, supplying current thereto while rotating the rollers.

As many changes could be made in the above plating fixture, and many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed.

What is claimed is:

1. A plating arrangement for printing, embossing, laminating, heating, and forming pressure rollers to suspend and rotate said rollers in corrosive plating baths of the type having a top support frame carrying a conductor bar, depending adjustable housings mounted to slide together and operate on said frame, a rack mounted on the side of said frame, a pinion meshing with said rack, a bearing structure for said pinion mounted on one of said housings, a hand Wheel to turn said pinion and move one of said housings toward and away from the other housing to adjust for different lengths of rollers, locking means to lock the housings in adjusted positions and depending means in said housings to drive said rollers and to establish an electrical connection from the conductor bar to the rollers.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, said means to establish an electrical connection consisting of parallel flat bars extending downwardly from the top of the housing to the bottom of the housing and a rotatable trunnion within the lower part of the housing having an end portion and a contact plate pressed against said end portion.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, said housings being covered by a plastic covering covering the sides, bottom and front and back Walls thereof and extending up to above the level of the corrosive plating bath.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1932 Zimniewicz et al. 204-212 5/1965 Nalband et a1. 2042l2 US. Cl. X.R. 204-212 

